Klay Thompson was always a Golden State Warrior — and it was meant to remain that way. From the moment he was drafted 11th overall in 2011, his loyalty was ensconced in the franchise's DNA.
Across dynasties and droughts, Thompson stayed grounded in the Bay. No flashy trades, no sideline speculation, no rumors entertained. For over a decade, that loyalty never wavered.
Not even his father could convince him to walk away from Golden State . Mychal Thompson, a two-time NBA champion and a proud Los Angeles Lakers veteran, tried. He tried hard.
"[Klay's] dad's a huge Lakers fan," said former Warriors star Andre Igoudala. "His dad's been trying to get him out of here for a while."
Thompson Sr., who wore the purple and gold from 1987 to 1991 and helped the Lakers win back-to-back titles in '87 and '88, had long envisioned a homecoming of sorts for his son. After all, Klay was born in Los Angeles . He grew up in a basketball household drenched in Showtime glory. Now a broadcaster for the Lakers, he wanted his son in that jersey.
When the younger Thompson hit free agency in 2019, Mychal reportedly urged him to explore his options. But Klay chose to stay at the Bay. Even after two grueling seasons lost to back-to-back ACL and Achilles injuries, even after Golden State missed the playoffs, he didn't budge.
But Mychal never let up. The vision of his son in Lakers gold was a mission. It just never panned out. Klay's choice to spurn Los Angeles, despite the Lakers' championship pedigree and his father's influence, speaks to a different kind of legacy. He was building his own identity in San Francisco.
Drafted just two years after Stephen Curry and one year before Draymond Green , "Splash Brother" helped form the nucleus of a Warriors era that would redefine modern basketball. He was a sharpshooter and a foundational piece, both offensively and defensively.
By 2015, he was a champion. By 2017, he had three rings. And in 2022, after a 941-day layoff, two devastating injuries and months of doubt, he came back to win his fourth. Few comebacks in NBA history have matched that kind of resilience.
One of the greatest shooters ever, he rode the Warriors' success only after enduring their pain. When the dynasty hit a wall in 2020 and 2021, when the team missed the playoffs entirely and fell from Finals contention to lottery hopes, he stayed present. That kind of commitment doesn't go unnoticed.
"He did say something meaningful like he wanted to be like M.J.," Iguodala said. "He wanted to stay with the same organization for his entire career and he didn't want to be coached by anyone else."
Yet sometimes, the story doesn't end the way it was supposed to. In 2024, negotiations between the Warriors and Thompson stalled. It came down to valuation. Golden State had younger priorities, a shifting roster and a tighter cap sheet. And so, he made a move.
He signed with the Dallas Mavericks , opting to join Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in a fresh Western Conference pursuit. It was a practical decision, not an emotional one. A change of scenery, not a change of heart.
Over 11 seasons with Golden State, Thompson played in 793 regular-season games, scored over 15,000 points and made more than 2,200 3-pointers. He was a five-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection and the owner of the single greatest shooting quarter in NBA history — 37 points in 12 minutes. More than stats, though, he represented the Warriors' soul.
